Flight control apparatus for helicopters

• US 6,334,592 B1
• Filed: 12/21/1999
• Issued: 01/01/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Kawasaki Jukogyo Kabushiki Kaisha
• Original Assignee: Advanced Technology Institute of Commuter-Helicopter, Ltd.
• Inventors: Tomio, Takeshi, Shirasaya, Hideki, Sudo, Ikuo, Tobari, Shigeru, Kubo, Yoshiharu
• Primary Examiner(s): Poon, Peter M.
• Assistant Examiner(s): JAKEL, KEVIN W
• Application Number:
  US09/468,095
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• Field of Search: 244/17.11, 244/17.13, 244/220, 244/221
• US Class Current: 244/221
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0825 using mathematical models
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0858 specially adapted for vertical take-off of aircraft

Abstract

A flight control apparatus for a helicopter is configured by: a control unit controlled by the pilot; a steering mechanism for generating an aerodynamic control force; a link mechanism for mechanically transmitting an amount of control Ma in the control unit to the steering mechanism, thereby driving the steering mechanism; an amount-of-control sensor for detecting the amount of control Ma in the control unit and for supplying a control signal Sa; a flight control law calculation unit for calculating a flight control law of the helicopter based on the control signal Sa, and for supplying a driving signal Sb for the steering mechanism; a difference calculation unit for subtracting the control signal Sa from the driving signal Sb, and for supplying a difference signal Sc; and a precision servo actuator unit for adding the amount of control Ma transmitted via the link mechanism, to an amount of difference Mc corresponding to the difference signal Sc. According to this configuration, the apparatus can be easily applied to a mechanical control transmission mechanism of an existing helicopter, and the characteristics and performance of the control transmission mechanism can be remarkably increased.

Claims

1. A flight control apparatus for helicopters, comprising:

a control unit to be operated by a pilot;

a steering mechanism for generating an aerodynamic control force;

a control transmission mechanism for mechanically transmitting a control amount from the control unit to the steering mechanism, to thereby drive the steering mechanism;

an amount-of-control sensor for detecting the control amount from the control unit and generating a control signal;

a flight control law calculation unit for calculating a flight control model of a helicopter based on the control signal and a predetermined flight control mode, and for generating a driving signal for the steering mechanism;

a difference calculation unit for subtracting the control signal from the driving signal so as to generate a difference signal; and

a servo actuator unit for adding a control difference amount to the control amount transmitted via the control transmission mechanism to generate a driving amount, wherein the control difference amount corresponds to the difference signal.

2. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 1, wherein the servo actuator unit is disposed functionally in series with the control transmission mechanism.

3. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 2, wherein the servo actuator unit is adapted to, in the event that a failure of the flight control law calculation unit occurs, maintain a steady operating position after eliminating the control difference amount between the control amount and the driving amount of the steering mechanism.

4. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 3, further comprising a power boost unit having a stability augmentation system, the stability augmentation system being adapted to effectively function only in the event that a failure of the flight control law calculation unit occurs, the power boost unit being disposed between the servo actuator unit and the steering mechanism.

5. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 1, wherein the servo actuator unit is adapted to, in the event that a failure of the flight control law calculation unit occurs, maintain a steady operating position after eliminating the control difference amount between the control amount and the driving amount of the steering mechanism.

6. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 5, further comprising a power boost unit having a stability augmentation system, the stability augmentation system being adapted to effectively function only in the event that a failure of the flight control law calculation unit occurs, the power boost unit being disposed between the servo actuator unit and the steering mechanism.

7. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 1, further comprising a pair of flight control computers, each of the pair of flight control computers including a flight control law calculation unit and a difference calculation unit for generating a difference signal, the servo actuator unit being adapted to compare the difference signal from each of the flight control computers and determine if a difference between each of the difference signals is within an allowable range.

8. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 1, wherein the servo actuator unit is disposed functionally parallel to the control transmission mechanism, further comprising a transmission switch mechanism downstream of the servo actuator unit, the transmission switch mechanism including a first clutch connected to the control transmission mechanism, a second clutch connected to the servo actuator unit, and an output rod connected to a downstream end of the first clutch and a downstream end of the second clutch.

9. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 1, wherein the servo actuator unit is disposed functionally parallel to the control transmission mechanism, further comprising a synthesizing first link mechanism downstream of the servo actuator unit, the first link mechanism including a first supporting axis connected to the control transmission mechanism, a second supporting axis connected to a downstream second link mechanism, and a third supporting axis connected to the servo actuator unit.

10. The flight control apparatus for helicopters of claim 9, wherein the second link mechanism is L-shaped, and an end of the L-shaped second link mechanism is connected to the second supporting axis of the first link mechanism.